Chapter 72

Hearing your words is like hearing a lecture.

"Is there a problem in Ratatoskr?"

After giving Kaguya a brief warning, Black Amber ignored the two of them and asked about the important matter.

Having witnessed this act of making an example of someone, Yuzuru calmed down and didn't say anything immediately.

"Not really."

Amber said, "Shiori encountered some unexpected circumstances. It seems that she prefers the Elves to be protected by Schicksal rather than Ratatoskr. I asked her if she wanted to come along, and she was still a little hesitant."

"It's because of Kotori Itsuka, isn't it?"

Black Amber sneered, "After all, her sister is still in that Ratatoskr. It's normal for Shiori Itsuka to be unable to let go of her sister's brainwashing."

"In fact, Kotori also wanted to join Schicksal, but she was still hesitant about it."

Amber felt that her other self had a rather strong stereotype about Kotori: "Although she is loyal to Ratatoskr, after talking with us at her home, I removed a lot of the filter I had for Ratatoskr."

Yes, what kind of person could make an organization constantly monitor and even study their own sister? Especially since this sister is someone they like.

Kotori had always been in Ratatoskr, and held a high position there, receiving an education from Ratatoskr. In her eyes, Ratatoskr's research on Shiori Itsuka was also a favor to her.

But once he separated himself from Ratatoskr, things just didn't feel right, especially after Shiori made it clear that he disliked this behavior.

Because of this realization, Kotori's sense of belonging to Ratatoskr has decreased significantly. She does indeed hold a high position here and has her own power and force. The Fraxinus is not an ordinary airship.

However, these things seem rather cheap in front of her older sister.

"Hmph~ So, she wants to see Schicksal fate has to say about her?"

Black Amber knew much more about this Amber, and immediately realized Kotori's thoughts. "She was tempted after hearing you say that Schicksal is my one-man show, but she will also be wary of it."

The phenomenon of one-man rule has its pros and cons. On the one hand, if you have a good relationship with the person in charge, you can receive a great deal of resources.

However, the downside is also obvious: if the other party wants to mess with you, you'll be completely helpless.

Why can the board of directors control the chairman? It's because they can work together as one. But Möbius, this 'chairman,' doesn't have a single director under him. Anyone who tries to touch him will be doomed.

The current management under Möbius has no say, so does Kotori think she will have a say if she joins?

This is probably what worries Kotori the most.

Amber hadn't thought that far ahead; she just assumed Kotori wouldn't dare gamble here, given her considerable connections and influence in Ratatoskr.

"It seems you hope to bring Shiori Itsuka and Kotori Itsuka into your Schicksal."

Black Amber laughed.

"... Indeed, from any perspective, they are better off in Schicksal than in Ratatoskr, both for us and for them."

Amber nodded.

After all... Kotori may not know, but don't the two of them know? Once Kotori comes to Schicksal, she will only gain more power than Ratatoskr. There's no reason for this; it's just because Amber likes them, trusts them, and sincerely hopes that they can have a better life.

If it were the end of the previous world and she had just arrived in this world, perhaps Amber wouldn't have been so willful. But... after all, she stored her Remembrance through the Feathered Dust, so her mindset is still relatively young now.

"Hmph, you know how I could refuse your request?"

Black Amber sat in the chair, one hand supporting her cheek. Her young yet aggressive face seemed to carry a hint of malice even when she smiled.

But Amber knew that this was the other person's true feeling.

"I'll leave the conversation tonight to you."

Such wholehearted devotion to one's own feelings is always touching, no matter how many times one realizes it.

However, in order to maintain her public image, she kept her face calm.

Bianca! When do you plan to return?

Seeing that the two had finished talking, Kaguya immediately spoke up again, "Yoshino said earlier that she had something to say to you, but unfortunately we are restricted in our movements and cannot go to find you, Daxi!"

"If all goes well, I should be able to come back within a month."

Amber smiled and replied, "I'll bring you gifts when I come back, and I'll also check on your recent training progress."

Kaguya was quite pleased when he heard the first sentence, but his expression froze after the second, and he then slightly shifted his gaze. "There's no need for... such unnecessary things! I've been practicing diligently every day! It's alright if Bianca comes back a little later, Daxi!"

"Think of a punishment before you come back. These two guinea pigs are always slacking off."

Black Amber, however, showed no mercy and directly exposed her lie.

Kaguya looked at Black Amber in disbelief, not understanding why she had attacked first when he hadn't even complained.

"Contact me again tonight; now is not the right time to chat."

Before Kaguya react and loudly complain about their impending doom, Black Amber ended the communication abruptly.

Seeing that Kaguya was about to explode, forcibly suppressed his anger before he could even speak, looking uncomfortable, the black security guard narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Little guinea pig, were you just about to say something you shouldn't have?"

"...No...no, I just wanted to say goodbye to Bianca, Daxi ..."

Knowing that she had no chance, Kaguya didn't dare to hold a grudge against Black Amber for betraying her, and quickly put on an expression of 'not understanding'.

Unfortunately, this did not escape Black Amber's punishment. In less than five minutes, the two girls' scolding voices rang out again in the room. Although Yuzuru, as a sister, did not do anything, the kind-hearted Black Amber still made the sisters share the burden.

Chapter Twenty: Don't let others benefit from your success.

"It's progressing very smoothly."

After a somewhat noisy and absurd date, Shiori was taken back to the airship Ratatoskr.

Seeing Shiori's exhausted appearance, Kotori laughed mercilessly.

"Stop talking... It feels like I'm taking care of a clueless little child..."

Shiori felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Tohka has no common sense and thinks differently from normal people. It took her a lot of effort to correct Tohka's behavior throughout the day. Although the progress in affection level has also made great strides because of this meticulous care and interaction, unfortunately, it still hasn't reached the level of being sealed enough by Lost.

Not only did it not reach that level, but it also entered a somewhat worrying stable state, simply put, it stopped rising.

This is perfectly normal. After all, the best time to build rapport is when two people are just starting to get to know each other. Once that time is over, it's not enough to just spend time together to build rapport. They need to go through things together to create important memories and deepen their impressions and understanding of each other.

However, such opportunities are not so easy to come by.

That being said, this result was beyond the expectations of the Fraxinus group. Even Muramasa Reine, whose expression was calm, showed a smile, albeit only a few pixels.

"Stop complaining. To be honest, it's already surprising that you two managed to spend a single day together without any unexpected incidents, isn't it?"

Although Kotori secretly didn't want the person she liked to have feelings for someone else, objectively speaking, the current situation was undoubtedly very satisfying, so she was in a good mood as well.

However, this did not mean she let her guard down. She reminded them, "In the initial plan, not only would the ASTs obstruct us, but even the Spirits would show hostility towards us. Although Tohka's progress is going smoothly, we should not project this impression onto all the Spirits."

"... I know."

Shiori, of course, understood that she couldn't be used as a reference this time. After all, Kotori was a good example. The reason they were able to conquer her was largely because Tohka had no common sense about humans. But Kotori's situation showed that there might be other spirits who were originally humans.

Such a spirit would inevitably have a far more complex personality and way of thinking than Tohka. In that case, not only would things not go smoothly, but there is even a high possibility of a battle with the spirit.

"Good, then let's call it a day. We should head back now."

Kotori also wanted to discuss the matter of Schicksal and Ratatoskr with Shiori. If Shiori was willing to stay in Ratatoskr, then Kotori wouldn't need to gamble. Although Schicksal might offer her better treatment and a stable life, gambling is gambling.

The members of Fraxinus remained silent, offering no comment. After Kotori directed the cleanup efforts, they teleported the two back to the Itsuka Residence.

"Shiori, what are your thoughts?"

With no one else around, Kotori finally looked at Shiori seriously. "You may not know, but not everyone in Schicksal is like Yulande. Shiori aside the others, do you really think that maid named Rita is someone easy to get along with?"

Shiori didn't find Rita difficult to get along with at all.

Because she could tell that no matter what Rita looked like on the surface, she was definitely a gentle person at heart, and she really loved Yulande. Otherwise, as a combatant and adjutant, why would she need to act as Yulande's maid?

You can tell Rita's feelings for Yulande just by looking at the food Rita makes.

Seeing Shiori's expression, Kotori, though unaware of her thoughts, could tell that Shiori had a different view of Rita than she did.

After a slight pause, Kotori continued, "The Bishop of Schicksal, Möbius, is an extremely dangerous being. Not only does she lead the most mysterious underground organization in the world, World Serpent, and is also the Schicksal of the strongest armed group, Schicksal, but what's even more terrifying is that she is also a scientist with exceptional talent."

"Everyone who has met her has the same opinion about her: 'deeply calculating' and 'dangerous.' It's utterly ironic that someone like her would talk about 'fighting for a better world'!"

Kotori first introduced Möbius, and then talked about her current situation. "Although you may have some opinions about Shiori, as you can see, I now have considerable influence and power in Ratatoskr. Ratatoskr's banner and slogan is to live in harmony with the elves. Putting aside their scheming in training me and monitoring you, it is clear from these actions that our existence, or Shiori, your existence, is crucial to Ratatoskr."

"In this situation, they might resort to underhanded tactics, with their own higher-ups having their own agendas. This kind of existence is unavoidable for any faction. However, in the open, you are the key figure in achieving the Ratatoskr slogan, the most important and perhaps only core member. They would not risk a complete falling out with you to harm the elves. And in the shadows, there is my presence. I myself am an elf, and I cannot allow that small group of people to set their sights on the elves."

Shiori wasn't the kind of person who wouldn't listen to advice, nor did she have the strange thought process of siding with outsiders while disregarding her own family.

She knew that what Kotori said was quite clear, which made Shiori with Ratatoskr, more hesitant.

Indeed, Ratatoskr might not be that great, but the worst outcome couldn't be too bad either; in comparison, Schicksal was a completely unfamiliar place for the two sisters...

Seeing that Shiori had indeed taken her words to heart, Kotori a slight sigh of relief and then continued, "As for the rest, we'll have to wait and see what happens during our meeting with Yulande."

". ah?"

Shiori paused for a moment. She did remember that she was going to see Yulande again later, but... Kotori's words sounded like she was really considering switching to Schicksal.

"Silly older sister..."

Kotori understood that Shiori didn't have much knowledge about this kind of thing, and explained, "I told you those things just so that you could look at both sides clearly from a broader perspective. It's not that I want you to stay in Ratatoskr. In fact, if Schicksal is sincere enough, it wouldn't be a bad thing for us to go to Schicksal."

It's good to have a powerful backer; everyone understands that. No matter how good Ratatoskr is, it can't compare to Schicksal. It's like comparing a Fortune 500 company to a top 10 company. While a Fortune 500 company isn't bad either, there's an opportunity to get into a top 10 company, and the top executives of a top 10 company have offered you a job and security...

Anyone would be tempted to consider it.

"Is... is that so..."

Shiori scratched her head awkwardly, unsure of what to say for a moment.

She always subconsciously tries to protect Kotori, but in the end, she just acts on her gut feeling. On the contrary, Kotori always has a higher perspective and more rational thinking in all situations.

If Kotori knew what Shiori was thinking, she would definitely be speechless. The two grew up in different environments, and it would be scary if Shiori really had the same mentality and thoughts as her.

However, Kotori has to admit that if it weren't for Shiori, she probably wouldn't have this dilemma of whether or not to change jobs. Although it's a dilemma, it's also a bittersweet one.

"In short, Shiori, don't say whatever comes to mind when the time comes. Although that's one of your strengths, that's not how you talk at the negotiating table."

Kotori reminded her, "Of course, there will definitely be times when you need to follow your feelings, Shiori, and I will give you a hint then."

"It's just... it's just a chat, is it really that serious?"

Shiori was initially quite relaxed, became somewhat tense due to Kotori's attitude.

"You can never be too careful when it comes to Möbius."

Kotori nodded even more seriously.

On the other side.

Back at the hotel, Amber immediately went to find Rita, only to find Rita dressed in a formal outfit that she rarely wore. This surprised Amber, who was used to Rita in maid outfits, so she asked, "Rita, are you going out alone?"

"Yulande".

Upon seeing Amber return, Rita calmly bowed before saying, "It's about the expansion of the Schicksal branch. Due to Schicksal's special nature, we need to report and communicate with the local authorities, so I'm planning to attend a party."

"Expansion?"

Amber was somewhat puzzled.

"Bishop Möbius just sent a message saying that a branch will be built in Japan."

Rita explained, "This wasn't originally planned, but Bishop Möbius said there were some unexpected circumstances, so we need to make some more arrangements."

Oh, now Amber understands.

I originally thought they were going to take Shiori to Schicksal, but it turns out they were going to set up a branch in Japan and bring this place under their sphere of influence.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Schicksal's headquarters is a city-sized Artificial Island in the sky. If the Shiori sisters come, the spirits will definitely follow. A floating island can't withstand Spatial Quake like Earth.

"Do you need my help?"

Having realized that Rita was going to deal with those annoying politicians, Amber asked.

His own military strength is a deterrent anywhere. At that time, he won't need to say anything. He just needs to stand there with a cold face, and those people will naturally be afraid.

Rita naturally understood Amber's meaning. Rita gladly accepted Amber's care and concern, but she gave a negative reply to the idea of going together, "Don't worry, Yulande, this is not something you need to do. If you often appear in front of those insignificant people, they will benefit from your fame."

What benefit would I give them if I went to intimidate them?

Amber looked puzzled.

That's because these shameless politicians can present this meeting in various veiled ways, creating a picture that is favorable to them.

For example, phrases like "had a pleasant conversation with Yulande" or "Yulande treats us differently" are used to subtly embellish their reputation as the strongest in the world. Their statements are all implied, and if they are actually exposed, they will simply say it was a misunderstanding.